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Fleet Network Pty Ltd D/L No. 20462 Your Vehicle Salary Packaging Experts 1300 738 601 AIR FORCE July 23, 2009 16 Personnel Name WGCDR Stephen Hart FSGT Mark Neale FSGT Lindsay Stager CPL Darren Cody WOFF Darren Lloyd SGT Zoran Tisma Departure Lounge Leaving after 20 or more years' service Must/Spec ACO GIA AVTECH ATECH AEA CISCON Last day June 30 June 30 June 27 May 5 June 30 June 22 Years 34 31 29 21 21 20 July 23 to 26 Force 10 will travel to Tasmania to perform at the Davenport Jazz Weekend. July 27 Force 10 and the Vocal Group will perform two concerts at the Arts Centre as part of Melbourne's Morning Melodies series. The concerts begin at 11am and 1.30pm. July 29 The Ceremonial Band will support the 1RTU Graduation Parade at RAAF Base Wagga. The parade steps off at 11am. August 2 The Ceremonial Band will travel to Sydney to support the 3WG AAFC annual memorial parade at Ashfleid. August 3 The Air Force Wind Quintet and the Catalina Wind Quintet will combine to give a lunchtime concert at BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne. This free concert begins at noon. AIR FORCE BAND Reservists' pay changes MOST reservist other ranks can look forward to changes in their pay structure from August 28. In November 2008, the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal approved the Graded Other Ranks Pay Structure (GORPS), which has already flowed through to most members of the perma- nent Air Force. The introduction of GORPS is being implemented in phases, with reserves being the final phase. During the past few weeks, DGPERS- AF staff have systematically placed reservists into the revised pay structure in accordance with their relevant profi- ciencies and, provided there are no prob- lems, reservists will see changes to their daily rate of pay from August 28. To minimise any possible problems and ensure they receive accurate and timely pay placements, all OR reserv- ists should ensure their PMKeyS career data reflects their proficiencies, especial- ly as there have been skill-grade changes for some musterings, which may mean a higher daily rate of pay for eligible members. Reservists who have met proficien- cies that may warrant a new skill grade and new pay placement should con- tact their wartime establishment unit to ensure a Form PE303, Recommendation for Mustering Regrading, is forwarded to the Promotion Cell, R8-7-061, Russell Offices, Canberra ACT 2600 or via fax (02) 6265 3248. Reservists who are unsure where they should be placed should visit the DGPERS website http://intranet.defence. gov.au/raafweb/sites/dgpersaf/comweb. asp?page=119829&Title=Home. This web page will also provide addi- tional information on GORPS, including the new daily pay rates. From pay day August 28, reservists who have a normal pay enquiry should contact their respective reserve squadron pay clerk as normal. However, if the issue is GORPS related, members should email gorps.af@defence.gov.au By WGCDR Mark Larter THE term average funded strength (AFS) is often used when discussing the authorised strength of the workforce, but the subject is not widely understood and so this article seeks to provide a simple overview. Bear in mind though, that AFS can become a very complex subject when various organisational and workforce factors are considered. AFS can be defined as a budget- ary measure used to count the aver- age number of ADF members paid on a full-time-equivalent basis during a financial year. Air Force is required to operate within these financial parameters. In a perfect world, one AFS would equal one establishment position, which would equal one person. However, that will never happen for many reasons, including wastage, recruiting, training, ongoing work- force change and non-effective serv- ice such as maternity leave. What is it for and how does it work? AFS is a strategic workforce man- agement tool and is predominantly used to signify the average number of paid, uniformed, full-time personnel employed over a given period. One AFS is equivalent to one paid member for 12 months. AFS is a rolling 12-month aver- age and is used by management to provide the linkage between actual strength and the money attributed to salaries. AFS calculations include permanent ADF personnel -- except those on periods of unpaid service, such as leave without pay -- as well as reservists on continuous full-time service. AFS is not rank or specialisation/ mustering specific. It is an average Numbers balance of the salaries we pay to all Air Force members. The workforce of a unit may be increased/decreased depending on the agreed AFS for that organisation. If establishment is below AFS then there is an opportunity to increase the size of the workforce. Conversely, if establishment exceeds AFS, then there will be pressure to reduce the size of the workforce. What is our AFS position at the moment? At present, the separation rate for Air Force is at a historic low of 5.9 per cent, and our recruiting achieve- ment is about 91 per cent. The result of this is a growth in the workforce beyond what was previously anticipated and an overachievement of 174 AFS, roughly converted to $19 million in salaries. The recent White Paper capabil- ity outcomes mean it is even more important to address the current AFS/ establishment imbalance to help align Air Force to the Strategic Reform Program. Air Force does not just review its workforce resourcing to conform with AFS requirements, however. The rolling objectives contained within the Air Force plan and the introduction of new aircraft and equipment means Air Force will always seek to secure maximum value in respect to public expendi- ture in order to maintain an optimum level of efficiency and effectiveness within the workforce. Project Align is a recent example of an Air Force efficiency review, in which establishments were reviewed against organisational requirements. Impact on reserve transfers to full-time service With AFS currently being exceeded in Air Force, the opportunities to trans- fer from the active or standby reserve to the permanent Air Force are very limited. The Directorate of Personnel - Air Force will continue to receive potential transferee applications in the normal manner, but opportunities will only be available for specific specialisations and musterings. More information on transfer oppor- tunities can be had from the Directorate of Personnel-Selection, Enlistment, Appointment and Transition cell. In summary, the chief finance offic- er provides finance to meet the capa- bility requirements of Air Force and this funding is converted to an AFS figure, which represents the average spread across all rank levels that can be expended in a financial year. There is no direct constraint set on establishment as the AFS figure becomes the factor that constrains establishment. For further information or guidance on AFS contact WGCDR John Coughlan for workforce structure-related questions by email to john.coughlan@defence. gov.au or WGCDR Peter Gibb for per- sonnel plan-related questions by email to peter.gibb@defence.gov.au FORCE STRENGTH: Members of 3 and 77SQNs. Photo: LAC Casey Smith